Rant & Rave: Glitter (Makeup)
Tell us why/what you love, hate, or are indifferent about… GLITTER (MAKEUP)!
Tell us why/what you love, hate, or are indifferent about… GLITTER (MAKEUP)!
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
In general I am not a huge fan of glitter in my makeup. It just gets all over the place (if it’s in eyeshadow) and gets in my eyes also. It’s incredibly hard to remove as well, so I find myself tugging at my eyes. I don’t mind a little glitter in an eyeliner or lip gloss though.
I hate…the glitter itself! It travels 🙁 I love it in theory. I have UD’s Midnight Cowboy…and it’s gorgeous, but for the life of me I have no idea how to make that glitter stay on my eyes…not elsewhere. I’m trying to take glitter out of my eyebrows, off my cheeks, and almost everywhere else for about 45 minutes!!
I don’t like eyeshadows that have glitter in them because it always ends up everywhere. I do like glitter by itself though! Mixed with mixing medium or lotion, you can line your eyes with it or lightly pat it onto shadow without too much fallout. My favorite combo is lining my eyes with molten sol liquidlast and adding lust dust glitter before it dries completely.
Once in a while, I do like to have glitter on hand for something fun. I don’t want my whole face looking glittery, so just a dash is alright.
Much like the other comments so far, I like glitter liner/shadows and in lipgloss (dazzelglass…mmmmmmmmmmm) but I hate it in blush. Pearly blush? ok. Glitter chunks in blush or face products? no thanks.
In general I’m not a huge fan, but sometimes a little bit can look really pretty. Very fine microglitter in a lipgloss (a la Dazzleglass) can look nice. Chunky glitter that travels all over your face? Not so much.
I recently got some prestige glitter liners and I LOVE the formula, so soft…no tugs, great pigmentation and lasting power. The problem? The glitter. Gets. EVERYWHERE. I’m still finding it in my eyebrows, random other places, etc that are nowhere near where I applied the eyeliner. I suppose maybe the problem is my remover (?)…but I’m still annoyed, haha.
I think glitter can easily look childish and messy. If it’s done properly, and for the right occasion, it can create a really strong look.
My thoughts exactly. I personally just stay away from it, for the most part.
I agree with gripes about the stray glitter….but I just can’t deny my love for anything sparkly! So I will continue with my affair with the glittery shadows, liner, and lipgloss! Pardon me now while I go remove some glitter from my eyebrows…….
One word: OMGLOVE! <3 Heh. Absolutely adore glitter, all sorts… loose, in the shadow itself, glitter liners, you name it. I wear it sparingly for day-to-day make-up but I love going overboard with it at Halloween and such. 😀 Glitter just makes me happy. Not sure when or why the obsession developed but it definitely did. I think LimeCrime, way back when Xenia first started selling the glitter pots on her site, is what sparked my initial interest in cosmetic glitter. 🙂
I love glitter too! And i def. love the Lime Crime glitters! But, my favorite glitter of all time has to be the reflects bronze glitter from MAC! Agggghhh! DROOLS! That glitter just goes well with everything, and it’s the perfect shade of gold/bronze! And if you’re careful and apply it with either mixing medium or eye drops and a 249 type (large shader) brush, you won’t get all that cazy fallout. When applying glitter to my eyeshadow I always try to be as careful as possibly, and if i do get fallout (which is usually very little) i just wipe it away with a moist wipey AND THEN i apply my foundation and such. =) Glitter just makes me all happy and warm inside!
LOVE IT! I love how pigments usually have that nice glitter factor that can’t be achieved with pressed eyeshadows. And reflects glitters are my favorite!!!
does anyone know whether glitters like reflect glitter or mufe glitters are safe for contact lens wearers to use?
Working with glitter is tricky. I dont think many glitters are eye safe wether or not u use contacts. I wear contacts and It doesnt stop me. Im just real careful, I need glitter in my life. Im not a professional but these are some things I do to avoid gettting it in my eye. I use something that makes it stick real good eyelash glue, mixing medium and tap my brush to get rid of excess. The thicker the layer the more likley to have it fallout. I apply it with my eye closed and pick up fall out with a damp cotton ball or q tip, tissue before I open my eye. if any ever gets in your eye dont rub. Damp q tip and touch the glitter and pull it away. Any pros out there that could give us any better tips and secrets when working with glitter?
thanks LocaLoli!
i’ve used mac’s glitter pencils before, but been too wary of loose glitters so far.
i’m going to have to try out some mixing medium soon…
I find that in some products the glitters are way too big.
LOL I LOVE LOVE LOVE glitter 🙂 my whole world could be covered in glitter and I would be happy!! My BF and son always make fun of me for bring such a glitter fanatic 🙂 Only bad things about glitter…it gets on everyone and everything around me. My friend, Becky, who use to be an exotic dancer calls glitter…stripper dust 🙂
I <3 Glitter Its just so pretty. Im like tinkerbell leaving pixie dust where ever I go LOL!
OFF TOPICCCCCCCCCCCCC
CHRISTINE- YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS IN YOUR ASK TEMPTALIA SECTION. THANKS.
I love it!
i love love love glitter. you have to know the trick on how to apply it to prevent fallout. mixing medium is a great base for it to stay put all day. i love to apply a dab over my shadows if a really want that wow and pop factor. love them!
Stephanie —
How do you apply the glitter in the mixing medium? Do you just put down the mixing medium and then lay the glitter on top? PLEASE explain 🙂 I always get a lot of fallout from glitter around the eyes and would love to know some good tricks!
No not glitter it stays in everything for years and years, not cool. I’ll wear it if i have to but other than that no.
I love glitter. I don’t use it all the time, but I love when I have the opportunity to wear it. I do have some trouble with it migrating, but that is mostly fixed when I use an eyeshadow primer. I don’t wear glitter on my lips because I hate the texture. I haven’t found a glitter eyeliner that doesn’t burn my eyes, but I am always on the lookout!
I prefer shimmer much more than glitter. Of course I can’t help but love looking at loose glitter because it sparkles so much! And if I can pull it off on top or mixed in with my eyeshadow then it’s lovely. Don’t love it in glosses though because of the texture and grittiness. Pearls and shimmers are my favorites!
I had no problem until some of the big chunks fall onto my cheeks. Sparkles are alright with me, but glitter that tends to be big and long; no way. I’d rather pur glitter on my lips – that’s not good, I’ll look like the human transmitter of reflective mirror..
I grew up in the 90s and had roll-on and spray-on body/face/hair glitter, and have been subsequently traumatized. I pretty much avoid glittery makeup products, especially shadows and blushes because then the glitter goes everywhere. It’s not as bad on the lips, and for certain occasions (Halloween, fancy-dress parties) glitter can add the right touch to face makeup as well, but in general it is to be avoided. Glitter is often a dealbreaker when I’m considering an otherwise beautiful shade of something…
Easy 🙂
It never ever ever comes off.
Hence why I am a fan of shimmer versus glitter. Even eyeshadows with some glitter, never comes off….Urban Decay’s Midnight Cowboy rides away is a curse…
Heavy glitters I don’t use.. However fine glitters like MAC pigments, Reflects glitters, MUFE Star powders and MUFE Diamond powders – can’t live without them and use them everyday!! With a good base, find glitters don’t fall out and they don’t crease either.
I used to be totally obsessed with glitter between the ages of 11-14 it was my first true love. I remember they sold little pots at the dollar store and every morning before school I would slather it on my cheeks ( I wish I was kidding but I’m not) To this day the sight of glitter still makes me excited and giddy. I have since graduated to using shimmer NOT glitter. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the MAC reflects but only pull those puppies out on special occasions.
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but since I don’t like the fallout, don’t wear it much.
Glitter on my eyes=happy face Claudia!
glitter on my cheeks/nose/chin=sad face Claudia
or should I say clown face? =P
I love sheen or slight shimmer but can’t stand glitter. It gets everywhere and the Lustre shadows by MAC are the worst IMO.
Unless it’s used purposefully for costume or dramatic make up, I think it’s ridiculous. Plus it’s dangerous!
I love glitter but I try to keep it to a minimum unless it’s a special event. Glitter liners or reflects mixed with a little BE Weather Everything are my favorites for lining either by themselves or over fluidline or on the tips of my lashes. If I’m going all out-reflects on the lid over paint pots while they’re still damp, & reflects on the cheeks. To keep the glitter from getting all over my face, I do my eyes first and lie down when I’m applying it so I don’t get fall out.
i loe glittery eyeshadows my favorite brand is urban decay you cant go wrong! 🙂 X
I’m so over the 80s. Glitter reminds me of those years.